Rufus s



sides, so as to avoid all danger' of the type being mere surplus, adding nothing to the real value.

dtml-ted giedre Letters Patent No. 97,426,

dated November 3o, 41se9.

IMPROVEMENT IN' .PRINTINGTYIP.

The Schedule referred to `i'n these Letters Patent and makiugpart of the same.'

lb whom it may concer-n: Be it known that l', RUFUs S. Mnnnrnmof Gambridge, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction and Manufacture of Printing-Type and I hereby declare the following to b e a full, clear, and exact' description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view, and

-Figure 2 is a' vertical section of a type made iu accordance with my invention.

My inyention consistsof a `printing-type, made of hard metal,A or other suitable type-metal,whicl1 is cast or otherwisemade hollow, or of a skeleton form, thereby reducing tbe amount of metal needed to produce the type, and making it lighter .and consequently cheaper, while, at the same time, the external form ofthe type is preserved, and the shell is left on all crushed. i

The invention, while applicable to all sizes of type, is yet peculiarly adapted to the Larger kind, which can bc thus rendered lighter, cheaper, and bett-er fitted for use, without detracting atall from their strength.

l I amaware that skeleton quads and quot-ations have been used heretofore by printers; but it is needless to say that such devices resemble in no respect printing-type.` The latter have usually been made solid, rendering them not only inconvenient to handle, but also expensive, while, as demonstrated by my invention, much of the material employed has been In some instances,`very large type have been arched out underneath; but, in such cases, two of the sides are ont away, and 'unless a considerable thickness of metal be lefton top, the type is liable to be crushed by pressure.

By my invention, however, the shell remains intact, so that it preserves its external forrnand loses no needed strength, while deprived, at the same time, ofa large lquantity of surplus metal; and, further, the'v mode of reducing the metal, by removing a core, ad-

mits of theinvention being applied to all sizes of type, where the metal saved wouldconstitute an appreciable item.

In the drawings, the hollow type is clearly shown l in iig. 2. 4

The fonn of the recess a is such that the type can be cast without trouble7 while it will be seen that the whole of thc metal core, which formerly occupied the cavity, is saved.

The metal at the upper e'ndcf the cavity is `arched or curved, so as to present a surface best calculated to resist pressure induced upon lthe face of the type, and to transfer such presslre to the walls of the shell. The type can be made of hard or type-metal, or brass, or other substance fitted for the purpose; and it can be cast hollow, or cored out by suitable means, according to the nature of the material employed.

lt will be apparent, however, that hard metal is the', only practicable material to be employed, as type made this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

RUFUS S. MERRILL Witnesses z WM. A. BLono-n'r'r,

U. CURRY 

